Belgium earned three points against Puerto Rico and now has four at Pool D in Krakow
Krakow, Poland, September 2, 2014 - With an amazing display from opposite player Bram Van Den Dries, Belgium enjoyed a comfortable win over Puerto Rico in the second Tuesday match, by 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-20).
Key points
• This Belgian win over Puerto Rico was not only the first World Championship game between them, but also the first ever in an international competition.
• Puerto Rico is now on a five-match losing streak, which is the worst after the one suffered in 1974, when they lost ten games in a row.
• That Puerto Rican dry-spell looks a little bit than the one now, as it’s the first time since 1974 that they face two consecutive 3-0 defeats.
Van Den Dries placed atop of all the scorers with a nice total of 19 points, followed by teammates Sam Deroo (13) and Kevin Klinkenberg (10). Puerto Rico, on the other hand, had only players with single numbers, as Maurice Torres and Mannix Roman finished with 9 points each.
From the very beginning, the Red Dragons looked in superb shape. Deroo fired seven points in the first set, including some service damage to advance to 11-7. With a very good output overall, Belgium moved on to 18-10, as Puerto Rican offense was perfectly controlled. Klinkenberg was the one in charge to seal the 25-19.
With a similar fashion, Belgium also prevailed in the second set. Van Den Dries became a major threat for Puerto Rico and captain Frank Depestele contributed with some swift serves to a 14-8 score. The team from the Americas could only watch as Klinkenberg, once again, provided the final point by 25-17.
Puerto Rico’s good spirit wasn’t enough to change the tide of the game, as Belgium earned points in every department towards a 14-8 on the board. Van Den Vries completed an awesome match and Belgium floated to 20-15, causing the delight of the red fans in Krakow. Pieter Verhees made the victory come true at 25-20.